Cleaning device



Sept. 19, 1933. w c SCHQPP 1,927,350

CLEANING DEVICE Filed March 24, 1932 INVENTOR Patented Sept. 19, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Application March 24,

2 Claims.

My invention relates to methods and devices for cleaning surfaces such as those of toilet bowls and the like.

At present there are two general methods employed. One employs the old fashion mop in smallsize; which if used very frequently is fairly successful altho quite unsanitary. If employed in connection with solvents, disinfectants and like chemical compounds such as are frequently required, it is short lived. In any event'it is quite unfitted to have about when not in use.

Various chemical compounds of a highly active and corrosive nature are employed, and in addition to their ultimately corrosive and destructive action are relatively expensive and must be applied to the surface some minutes before cleaning operations are begun.

'It is one of the objects of this'invention to provide a cleaning device and method for. using same particularly suited to cleaning toilet bowls whereby that portion of the device coming into contact with the surfaces and their accumulations is of an inexpensive, non-clogging, disposable and ef-- fective nature, and which after use may be disposed of without expense or trouble by merely flushing the bowl and allowing that portion to be carried away.' H 7 Another and important object of the invention is to provide a device and method whereby chemical compounds may be employed therewith at less expense, less trouble and lesschance for corrosive action. I g

Another object of the invention is the provision of device for the purposes indicated which, aside from the cleaning material employed therewith, is long lived, inexpensive and not unsanitary.

Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a cleaning device which may be easily applied to all surfaces of a toilet .bowl with equal ease and efiiciency notwithstanding the irregularities, curvatures and angularities of the surfaces thereof.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a device of the class described which is not readily acted upon by water, acids and the like and which in keeping therewith is composed of a material also peculiarly suited to the work which it is to perform.

I have illustrated by the accompanying drawing one practical embodiment of my invention by way of example; the particular embodiment described not in any way imposing limitations to the scope of the invention.

In the said drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of such em- 1932. Serial No. 600,981

bodiment shown in operative position within a toilet bowl; the latter being shown in elevation with parts broken away to reveal the interior surfaces thereof. 4

Figure 2 is a plan view of the device.

Figure 3 is a view in cross section of a part of the device known as the applicator and showing it as holding a cleaning medium differing from that which it is shown holding in Figure 1.

More specifically, my improved cleaning device in the main consists of the applicator 3 and a-handle 4. The applicator is flexible,,water-proof, and acid resisting and is composed of a rubber compound of suitable resiliency, neither soft enough to be readily distorted and yet not hard enough but that it will adapt itself to irregularities of surface and to slight deformation required for its proper operation.

This applicator is of inverted cup form providing a flexible top wall ,5, 'a slightly deformable annular wall or lip 6 and providing an interior space 7 open at the bottom.

The handle 4 is of suitable water proof and acid resisting quality and while it may be composed of hard rubber or like compound it is least expensive and quite satisfactory when made of enameled wood. The handle is connected to the cup at the top wall thereof by a stud 8, passing into the handle at the lower end thereof, with the head 9 of the stud covered with rubber, and of sufiicient diameter to securely hold the cup attached to the handle.

The lower part of the handle as at 10 is of relaof the cup permits of the handle being moved to various slight angles with respect to the cup, other than the angle at which the handle is normally disposed with respect to the cup. Also the lower end 10 of the handle is of limited diameter to permit of the top wall being bowed slightly inwardly by pressureapplied to the handle to give the rubber cup a vacuum cup or suction action when such is required; the annular wall being too thick for such effect.

A toilet bowl 12 is shown in Fig. 2, having inside surfaces such as 14, 15 and 16 respectively, which require cleaning.

tively small diameter so that the flexible top wall 7 The handle as at v10 is practically normal to r indicated at 19. This may be a single fairly thick but suitably fibrous paper for this particular purpose or it may be several thicknesses of thin toilet paper. While there are various ways of getting the paper into contiguity with the surface to be cleaned and under the cup; the following method is obviously the best:

The lower edges or the annular wall of the cup are moistened slightly and the paper pressed flatly against the open end of the cup and into contact with the lower edges of the annular wall. These wet edges hold the paper sufiiciently altho a slight suction action may also be produced by pressing the handle down quite forcibly, to indent the top wall of the cup when the paper is applied.

Now the applicator is applied to the surface to be cleaned with the paper between the applicator and such surface. The device is then moved about with the paper in wiping contact with the surfaces as required to give the desired cleaning action. As water is required or as the paper is required to be moistened it is merely moved into absorbing contact with the water in the bowl and of course the paper is ultimately submerged when cleaning surfaces below the water line. The applicator is protected from direct contact with accumulations by the paper.

When cleaning operations are completed the paper is merely shaken loose from the applicator permitting the paper to be disposed of by merely flushing the bowl.

The angularity of the handle permits of applying the applicator properly to all surfaces. When the applicator is being applied to the inwardly declining surface at the front of the bowl the handle is practically vertical, which is best for this condition. When the applicator is being applied to the rear vertical surface of the bowl, as indicated by broken lines in Figure l, the handle is inclined about 45 degrees and extends upwardly toward the center of the bowl and is peculiarly accessible and suited for imparting a vertical scrubbing motion to the applicator. In fact the angularity of the handle, not to mention the fact that the handle may be moved slightly with regard to the applicator, makes the devices peculiarly efiicient and easy to manipulate.

Where cleaning has not been done for some time or the accumulations are such as to require the use of the well known compounds ordinarily used in such cases, I provide same in the form of a cake 20, which has a suitable soap or paste base such that the cake retains shape under water and does not dissolve too rapidly. This. cake is fitted into the cup and is of a thickness practically as great but no greater than the depth of the cu'ps interior. Either with or without paper between, the applicator is applied to and rubbed over the surfaces to be cleaned. As more material 20 is to be applied the pressure on the handle is increased to force the cake into closer contact with the surface or to force some of the cake material out under the lower edges of the cup. This is continued until the small quantity of material held by the cup is fully used; it being found that cleaning is thorough and yet quite inexpensive by this method.

Whether the applicator is being used with or without the paper, and with or without the cake 20, the lip of the cup will be found to be particularly efficient in adapting itself to the surfaces to be cleaned and I find that an annular surface of this kind is better than a full co-extensive surface. The lip of the cup conforms to irregularities in the surfaces being cleaned while varying pressure on the handle will produce suction action which will add to the cleaning power of the device.

When not in use the device may be hung on a hook convenient to the bowl. When used with paper it is protected from contamination and when used with chemicals it is suitably disinfected and cleansed thereby and at any time is not unsanitary and may be kept in convenient location.

The methods, design, construction and materials suggested may be modified or substituted by others, all within the scope of the appended claims without being beyond the scope of my invention.

Having described my invention that which I claim as new and patentable is:

1. In a cleaning device, an inverted flexible cup composed of a resilient material, a flexible top wall to said cup, a less flexible annular wall to said cup depending from and normal to said wall and co-acting therewith to provide a shallow cup space open at the bottom, and a handle attached to said top wall; said handle where it is attached to said top wall being of reduced diameter and said handle having an engageable portion inclined with respect to the plane of said top wall; the annular wall having a surface-engaging lower edge of appreciable thickness and disposed on a plane parallel to the plane of said top wall; the walls being so relatively proportioned that thru the handle the cup may be moved over a surface to be cleanedwith the said edge of the annular wall co-extensively engaging such surface while a force applied thru the handle normal to the top wall will depress the top wall without distorting the annular wall.

2. The cleaning device as in claim 1 and further including a cake of cleaning compound disposed in said cup space; the top wall overlying the cake so that when the top wall is depressed by the handle it pushes the cake against the surface over which the lower edge of the annular wall is being moved.

WILLIAM C. SCHOPP. 

